Recorded at the 2025 UA Canadian Conference in Québec City, General President Mark McManus sits down with Terence Snooks, Director of Canadian Affairs; Trevor Robertson, Administrative Assistant to the General President for Canada; and Stéphane Favron, International Representative for Québec.

In our first bilingual episode, they discuss how the UA coordinates training, standards, and agreements across the U.S.–Canada border so signatory contractors can staff projects on either side—and our members can get to work wherever the jobs are. From record apprenticeship growth to long‑run opportunities in sectors like nuclear, it’s Two Nations, One Union— working together to keep contractors competitive and members on the clock.

Recorded live from Tradeswomen Build Nations in Chicago, General President McManus hosts a conversation on how recruitment, mentorship, and leadership turn training into real work and more hours for members across two nations. He’s joined by Laura Ceja (Special Representative for Training & Outreach), Alanna Marklund (Special Representative & National Manager for Youth, Diversity & Indigenous Relations), and Carrie Hoza (Journeywoman Plumber, UA Local 130). It’s a celebration of UA tradeswomen—the largest delegation at TWBN—leading from the jobsite to the classroom, raising standards, and strengthening the pipeline that keeps our contractors competitive.

In this Labor Day special, recorded live at the UA Instructor Training Program, General President Mark McManus sits down with Earl Setches, Secretary of Australia’s Plumbing & Pipe Trades Employees Union (PPTEU), and Paddy Kavanagh, General Secretary of the Connect Trade Union in Ireland. The conversation is a companion to our ITP episode on instructor development, focusing here on how aligning training standards and partnering with counterpart unions helps UA contractors compete on projects worldwide.

From training‑center models and “train‑the‑trainer” exchanges to shared standards in water technology, hydrogen, and service work, our guests lay out how international collaboration turns into real jobs and more hours for UA members. They also discuss the UA’s global relationships with Connect and the PPTEU—proof that when labor and signatory contractors coordinate across borders, we protect our work, grow market share, and open doors for all of our members.